Allegheny College International Club Students Travel to Pittsburgh

The Allegheny College International Club took students on a recent trip to Pittsburgh that began with a scenic ride up the Duquesne Incline. The group then headed into the city, where they toured the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning and visited shops in the Strip District.

The trip was “a fun event for all the students” said first-year international student Hirotaka Doi.

“We toured the city and the University of Pittsburgh,” Doi added. “I thought it was cool how the park in between the city and the university was a common meeting ground between the city dwellers and university students alike. Along with the park, everyone can use the facilities at the University of Pittsburgh, and we don’t have anything like that in Japan so it was interesting to see.”

First-year student Ryan Martinez, a Texas native, recalled another positive experience from the university tour. “Inside the Cathedral of Learning, my friend and I went to the 36th floor, which is the highest floor visitors can ascend to. From here we could see the city from above and in the distance, where the city becomes more rural and less urban,” he said.

To further their international experience, students ate lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant that specializes in Phở, a very popular dish consisting of noodles, broth, and meat. They next traveled to an open-air Asian market, where students had the opportunity to buy goods and get a lesson on Asian culture.

“Although I did not buy anything, my friends bought lots of Japanese candies, cookies, noodles and snack food that reminded them of home,” Doi said.

Martinez bought Japanese candy to try out of curiosity. “My favorite part of the trip was walking through the strip and seeing what Pittsburgh had to offer,” he said. “Being from Texas, it’s like a whole new experience. It’s more of a city then I’m used to. All in all, the trip was fun and definitely worth going on.”